People

Youngah_Do

Youngah Do

Principal Investigator
BA SNU
;
MA SNU
;
PhD MIT

webpage | youngah@hku.hk

I am broadly interested in understanding the human ability to learn sound patterns. How do we abstract patterns from continuous sound streams, and how do various learning mechanisms help or impede learning ? My research approaches individual phenomena in the acquisition of sound patterns from three directions: (a) formal analysis within the framework of generative grammar, (b) experimentation accessing learners' linguistic knowledge, and (c) computational modeling incorporating components of linguistic theory. As a new PI of the Language Development Lab, I am excited to explore questions on language learning with the wonderful people.

Jonah Lack

Postdoctoral Researcher
BA Linguistics TESOL CU Boulder
;
MA HKU
;
PhD HKU

jlack@hku.hk

Jonah Lack focuses on L1 and L2 morphological processing through EEG, and is specifically interested in the roles that form and meaning play during L1 and L2 language processing and acquisition and whether these roles are similar or different. His MA dissertation discussed structural priming in bilinguals, including current theories, methodologies, and trends. He is heavily interested in L2 visual processing and acquisition broadly, and has been studying Korean and Mandarin since the start of his Bachelor’s degree with the goal of attaining fluency in both.

Robert Marcelo Sevilla

Postdoctoral Researcher
BA (Linguistics) Illinois
;
MPhil HKU
;
PhD HKU

rsevill2@hku.hk

My research interests include the Xiang group, Sinitic typology, acoustics (of hesitation markers like uh and um in particular), and grammatical variation (of classifier constructions in particular). I'm also willing to chat about diachronic linguistics with anyone, rain or shine!

Ming Liu

PhD student
BLit PKU

mingliu_7@connect.hku.hk

I'm a PhD student planning to work on phonetics and Second Language Acquisition. I'm interested in speech learning in second language acquisition as well as sound change in natural language contact, especially the interaction between Mandarin and Hakka.

圣诞街景-12[2415]

Frank, Lihui Tan

PhD Student
BA HKU

tt115889@connect.hku.hk

I majored in General Linguistics and Computer Science. My current interest is in the computational modelling of sound change, especially how individuals' learning mechanisms could be modelled from theories and experiments and act as a unit of larger models of speech communities to investigate sound change. In my future studies, I would like to explore this topic in more detail. Hope to learn more about human's phonological learning mechanisms here!

pelleas

Zhihao Wang

PhD student
BLit PKU
;
MA PKU

wzhihaow@connect.hku.hk

I am a PhD student working on phonology and phonetics, and their interface. Having a background of Chinese historical phonology, I have a strong interest in comparative studies of Chinese dialects and some geographically adjacent languages. Currently, my research focuses on tones. I hope to get some new perspective through observing interaction of different tonal systems.

Xiaoyu Yu

Rayne, Xiaoyu Yu

PhD student
BA Tulane
;
MPhil Cambridge

xyu97@connect.hku.hk

I began my studies at HKU in 2021. My PhD thesis focuses on dialect acquisition, specifically examining how dialect learners form sound correspondences between their native dialect and a nonnative dialect. I am also keen to explore phonological learning from various perspectives, including phonetics, language variation and change, and psycholinguistics.

Shuhao Zhang

PhD student
BSc&BEng THU

shuhaoz19@connect.hku.hk

I am a PhD student planning to work on phonological acquistion. My current research interest is the perception-production link of language learning in phonetics and phonology, and using computational methods to approach it. I am also interested in the neural mechanisms underlying this process.

zhengshuang

Ivy, Shuang Zheng

PhD student
BA McGill

ivyzheng@connect.hku.hk

I am a PhD student working on phonological learning and learning biases. I am interested in the role of phonetic substance in phonological acquisition. My current project employs computational simulations to uncover the nature of learning biases related to phonology.

Kevin

Kevin, Fei Peng Chen

Undergraduate Research Assistant

u3608462@connect.hku.hk

I am an undergraduate year 2 BA student, majoring in General Linguistics and Psychology. As a third-culture kid, I grew up being exposed to various languages, which further fuels my passion for the study of linguistics. My main interests in the field of linguistics include child language, bilingualism, language acquisition, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistics, and translation.

Lawrence, Hoi Ki Cheung

Undergraduate Research Assistant

ulawlaw@connect.hku.hk

Lawrence Cheung is a year 3 undergraduate student pursuing a double major in linguistics and cognitive science, with a minor in philosophy. He is particularly interested in the nature of meaning, encompassing both semantics and pragmatics, as well as the processes through which individuals acquire this knowledge.

Clarissa Ki

Undergraduate Research Assistant

clarissa.ki.22@ucl.ac.uk

I am an undergraduate studying BA Linguistics at UCL. My main interests within linguistics include phonology, language acquisition and syntax.

Emelia, Fangxiuyu Yan

Undergraduate Research Assistant

yanfxy@connect.hku.hk

I majored in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. I am genuinely interested in the brain mechanisms behind various unique (or not so unique) human abilities. Learning about Broca's and Wernicke's areas in an introductory course first made me aware of how language is actually composed of different elements. I am interested in learning more about linguistics through engaging in laboratory linguistics research.

Tina, Ka Yee Yu

Undergraduate Research Assistant

tina02@connect.hku.hk

Tilda, Yingqi Wang

Undergraduate Research Assistant

u3591978@connect.hku.hk

Aaron, Wing Cheung Chik

Lab manager
BA HKU

aaeronc@connect.hku.hk

I graduated from HKU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Linguistics and German. My research interests are in Cantonese sociophonetics, Hong Kong Sign Language, and computer schema designs for linguistic structures.

Previous Lab Members

Postdoctoral researchers

Graduate students

  • Dr. Tingyu Huang (PhD 2021; tenure-track researcher at Sichuan University)
  • Dr. Eileen Waegemaekers (PhD 2019; researcher at Leiden University)
  • Bingzi Yu (MIT PhD)

Master students

  • Katrina Ke Chun Li (MA 2019; Cambridge PhD)
  • Rachel, Pui Ching Chen (MA in Psychology, HKU)

Undergraduate Research Assistants/Interns

  • Joanna, Chuwen Chen
  • Hannah, Yu Hei Chung
  • Olivia, Xin Liang
  • Mavies, Yu On Ngai
  • Judy, Chui Yin Ng
  • Jeff, Wing Tsun Yip
  • Albert Baichen Du
  • Alex Zhongyu Hu (MA in Linguistics, UNC)
  • Michael Mak O Hu
  • Stephen Tsz To Ho (MA in Education, HKU)
  • Wayne Tak Wang Li (University of Washington)
  • Ping Hei Yeung (BA 2021; Georgetown University PhD)
  • May Pik Yu Chan (BA 2020; UPenn PhD)
  • Kelly Chun Wing Cheng
  • Carrie Ka Yee Chan
  • Heidi Hui Lam Lui
  • Ryan Ka Yau Lai (BA 2019; UCSB PhD)